sankkoch

The Ming emperor should be told that his emissaries admitted their insecurities & incompetence by cheating and have brought great shame upon him. "No tributes for you!"

Poison them with opium and make them spy on Ming to feed their addition

This one and Winning Try are my only favorites out of every drama I've watched (so far) in 2025.

You can thank the OTT streamers (Prime Video, D+, Netflix, etc.) for the shortened season. It is their influence on the broadcast networks (who have become dependent on the additional revenue stream) which has reduced the number of episodes. Previously, Netflix & Prime Video have each experimented with splitting 16-ep K-Drama seasons into two 8-ep halves (The Glory, Death's Game, etc.) but the audience reacted negatively to incomplete storytelling in the first halves, unreasonable cliffhangers and prolonged hiatus before the concluding parts were made available. BTW, Netflix originals are typically only 10 eps.

Maybe viewers connect emotionally to the characters of BAYM better than they do with these grifters?

I would also be delighted to see Kang Ha Na as a protagonist. I think I crushed on her character a little bit in Startup (during rewatch).

You're welcome… and also sorry! I feel ya', I do.

Wait just two days and you will be able to watch the next two episodes together!

I know a secret trick to enable your heart's desire…

FWIW, I was distracted by a jagged chin edge in her previous drama. I was relieved to no longer see it in this. (That said, she can do to herself whatever she wants. But I do feel sorry for all actors/actresses subjected to such pressures—especially in SK, where plastic surgery is so prevalent.)

She has a line where she self-labels herself as a 'sociopathic genius'—High IQ/Low EQ. I don't understand (yet) her reasons why she gave a bit of the cash to that daughter/mom. But sociopaths can have their own reasons to perform a generous act even if they lack the feelings which might motivate you or I to do so. Even a broken clock tells the correct time twice per day.

We both know all of this but let's not pretend that writers live in a vacuum, unaffected by knowledge of history or literature. Everyone is influenced by what they have been exposed to, even if that influence is subconscious.

My point was merely that Sheherezade is the origin of the trope of a woman who must continually entice her king to preserve her life. I wish you continued enjoyment of the second half of this drama. Peace.

This can be because this is an adaptation of the manhwa into a different media. (Not that I expect this to happen, but this type of diversion from the source material is not at all unprecedented.)

This show deftly explores the exact same basic theme (modern chef in historic Joseon) without too much overlap, in my opinion. I initially shared your fears, but have come to really appreciate how deftly the writers have crafted this to stand on its own merits.

This should be good. I liked that one where he married his grandma.

The King of this story is based on an historic Joseon King who—among other actions which resulted in him being labeled as a tyrant—rounded up maidens for his personal benefit. But this story also seems to draw inspiration from another tyrant King with similar proclivities, from classic fiction.

The book 'One Thousand and One Nights' includes multiple short stories-within-the overarching story which themselves have inspired many popular adaptations: Aladdin and his Magic Lamp, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Seaman, etc. There are literally hundreds of these short stories within larger narrative. (The stories as translated into English in the late 1800's by Sir Richard Francis Burton fill 10 volumes.)

The overarching story is about a Tyrant King who amasses a huge harem of virgins, one of whom is brought to his bedchambers each night for, after which he has her killed so that no other man might be with her. Sheherezade is the name of the maiden who is brought to his room and—seeking to forestall her own death—manages to captivate the King with a compelling story she makes up on the spot until—at dawn—ending it on a cliffhanger. Of course the Tyrant declines to have her killed, and she is brought back the next night to continue the tale. And this goes on for another thousand nights until the King admits he has fallen in love with Sheherezade. Cue happy ending.

All that just to say that I note the similarities between Sheherezade and Yeon Ji Yeong, who similarly must prolong her life by continually impressing her tyrant King with novel and delicious meals. This drama isn't about the cooking competitions (per se) so much as never disappointing the palate of King Yi Heon.

While waiting for the next episode, I'm enjoying watching Yoona eat and watch chefs compete for her favor in two recent episodes of a popular K-Reality cooking show (also on Netflix) while promoting this K-Drama:

https://kisskh.at/780006-please-take-care-of-my-refrigerator-season-2

The Ming chef's accents controversy has hit the MDL home page:

https://news.mydramalist.com/article/bon-app-tit-your-majesty-chinese-actor-sparks-controversy-over-remarks-about-k-actor-he-dubbed

I hope their superpowers aren't lame like being able to balance a pencil on its tip or bending a plastic spoon without it breaking.

Me either but it's a feature which is entirely allowed. 🤷🏻 Maybe try to care less about ratings and you can save yourself some angst.